Tu quoque: here we go

Published: March 14, 2014 at 9:58pm

Busuttil has just accused Muscat of having “one hundred per cent tolerance for corruption” after being elected on the pledge of zero tolerance for corruption.

He used to illustrate his point Muscat’s interference in the Enemalta smart meters bribery case, ordering the Police Commissioner not to take action against those who bribed Enemalta workers to fix their meters so that they could steal electricity.

Muscat’s response?

“Sa fejn naf, jien qatt ma kelli arloggi tal-lira id-dar.@

Ridiculous. Like a spiteful child in a playground or an uneducated woman quarrelling with another one. He really needs to learn how to argue like a man (and an educated one).




38 Comments Comment

  1. ciccio says:

    I’d like to see Simon Busuttil taking control of the debate, feeling in command, and interrupting the prime minister while he lies or says one non sequitur after another.

    Like they do in US presidential debates.

    • arloggi tal-elf miljun says:

      Check Rajoy’s performance in opposition – he was quiet, polite, peaceful and just gave the Spanish Socialists enough rope. Then he went on to win a landslide absolute majority in 2011, which is very rare in Spain. Busuttil’s polite manner will win back the lost votes as well as the many people who abstained last election.

  2. Edward says:

    It just goes to show what sort of values Labour supporters have. They want the bully, not the brains.

  3. wow says:

    He needs to learn how to argue like a prime minister, for God’s sake – unbelievable, what an idiot!

  4. socrates says:

    Joseph Muscat is indeed a great and unique Sophist: his arguments are what is music to his people’s ears, regurgitating nonsense and selling it as his wisdom (he can’t really do any better…the gas tanker in the Marsaxlokk Harbour is killing his chances of going beyond the first term…at the moment he both looks and is arrogant and uneducated).

    • La Redoute says:

      No. He’s just boring and poorly educated. Fortunately for him, so are much of his target audience, including the twittering gasbags who voted for him but wouldn’t be seen dead among his usual troupe of supporters (maaa! As if! They’re such hamalli.)

    • observer says:

      Bil-Malti nghidu “pastaz jaf ftit skola” Mhux talli jibqa’ pastaz, anzi talli jsir aktar.

      Hekk jinghogob mal-marmalja cwiec li jadurawh.

  5. Joe Fenech says:

    The man is as empty as a hermit’s address book (ref. Blackadder).

  6. A says:

    Can’t Muscat get over what was or was not done in the past and understand that he is the one who is responsible now?

    • M. Cassar says:

      If he did he would hardly have any replies would he?! That is his only strategy. Of course the jobs for the billboard people being the only exception. Have you seen anything of substance to replace the ‘but you did worse’ syndrome?

  7. Banana Republic .... again says:

    I’m trying to replicate his pronunciation of the word ‘privatisation’.

    I couldn’t manage using letters only. I think it’s:

    Priv8aysation

  8. Natalie Mallett says:

    If the only corruption case that springs to his mind every time he speaks of corruption is that of the infamous “arlogg tal-lira”. then all I can say is “kemm konna ahjar meta konna aghar” under the PN.

  9. A says:

    Perhaps he may not have had an “arlogg tal-lira” but he has had many other things…. including sponsorships of all sorts.

  10. CIS says:

    That type of comment is what his followers like to hear.

  11. Paddling Duck says:

    “Il-Kap ta l-Opposizzjoni jahseb li hu espert u haddiehor ma jaf xejn” (or something of the sort) – Hekk hu!

  12. Natalie Mallett says:

    Is that idiot who tried to read out the question about the cafeteria waiting to smell the coffee?

  13. Sparky says:

    There was also a remark by the Prime Minister “tliet gimghat ohra se taqa ghac-cajt” (reference to potential court proceedings against those who don’t come forward and admit involvement in the smart meter scandal). How childish, arrogant, and, allow me, moronic.

  14. PWG says:

    With reference to corruption Muscat accused PN governments of going after the small fry implying that the big fish were treated lightly. Simon lost the opportunity to rubbish Muscat with a reference to the judges and the Enemalta chairman.

  15. Victor says:

    I hope that the switchers were very pleased tonight listening to the (fat ‘n’ forty) child prodigy they so happily helped elect to run our country.

  16. Pied Piper says:

    Muscat would have looked much more at ease if he wore his old jester’s cap.

    He became so incensed everytime Busuttil hit a sore point. He acted as if he’s still in Opposition. For Muscat, two wrongs make a right and he still lives in the past.

    • Matthew S says:

      The past is quickly forgotten when convenient.

      At the beginning of the programme, a profile of both leaders was aired. Busuttil’s profile covered his whole political career with lots of emphasis on his role in getting Malta into the EU.

      Muscat’s profile went from graduation to becoming Opposition leader as if nothing happened in between. All those years presenting anti-EU programmes on Super One and campaigning against Malta’s entry into the EU were nowhere to be seen.

  17. ciccio says:

    Li qatt ma kellu arlogg tal-lira d-dar konna nafuh. Ghalhekk dejjem tard.

  18. Banana Republic .... again says:

    His tu quoque didnt go down too well with Arnold Cassola, who was so baffled that the PM looked like a fool.

    • albona says:

      In fact it was Cassola who won the debate. He made Muscat look like a little boy being told off at school whilst showing Busuttil how to use charisma and powerful debating skills to show up his opponents – respectfully.

  19. just me says:

    Qatt ma kellu arloggi tal-lira d-dar, imma mara li qed itiha paga ta’ xejn ghandu u karozza mikrija lilu innifsu ghal eluf kbar ghandu wkoll. U jista jkollu d-dar affarijiet ohra li ghadna ma nafux bihom.

    • L-ghaqal tal-prim says:

      Jien niskanta kif ghadu ma ddecidiex li jibda jahdem mid-dar tieghu minflok ma jmur Kastilja. Kieku ikun jista anke jikri d-dar tieghu lilu nnifsu, forsi jiehu xi 50 elf ewro ohra fis-sena.

  20. rob says:

    Who would have guessed Enron would have folded a decade ago?
    Who would have guessed Lehman Brothers would have also folded 7 years ago?
    Who would have guessed a black man will be president of the USA one day in our generation?
    Who would have guessed the twin towers in NY would go down in one single astonishing event?
    Who would have guessed Malta would be run by somebody like Muscat?

  21. Joe Micallef says:

    He’s frozen in time!

  22. albona says:

    Are there any links to this thing?

  23. Sam says:

    Did you miss the part where Muscat practically accused Busuttil of planning to sabotage the LNG tanker? Incredible.

  24. Tabatha White says:

    I took a very quiet and reassuring comfort in observing the body language, facial expressions, comportment, language, content and expression of the two in yesterday’s debate.

    How polished and confident Dr Busuttil is.

    How entirely different to the lying, blustering Joseph Muscat.

    How acute the difference in reliance and confidence factors.

    What a pity that such a debate is housed under the auspices of Xarabank.

    Joseph Muscat is telling those of us who can read through his lies exactly where it hurts.

    What he doesn’t realise is that the biggest weakness of spin are the spin masters’ socially deficient Achilles Heels starting out. He remains trapped in that cycle, a victim no matter the invisible gains he vainly attempts to thread out as his winning points.

    Whereas, for Simon Busuttil, the truth is a liberating factor that vaults him far past that vicious downward spiral.

    Not populist, Joseph Muscat?
    IIP scam “put together” after the elections?

    Joseph Muscat:
    “Wara t-tbissima, il-gideb”

    “Wara t-tbissima, il-habi”

  25. zunzana says:

    The PM has lied through his teeth when he said that the sale of the Maltese passport was considered by him after the elections. What about the meetings he had with Henley and Partners before the election. Barefaced liar!

  26. Pontius says:

    That sort of debate should take place without the usual Xarabank audience. Then the prime minister will be forced to answer to the real issues instead of playing to his narrow audience.

  27. Jozef says:

    Jidher li qatt ma kellu arlogg tal-lira. Qas jaf x’inhu.

  28. cora rossi says:

    Can the prime minister tell us how many people were put on the government payroll since last March?

  29. L.Gatt says:

    This extremely irritating fallacious logic is now invariably used by all Labour voters, be they “new” or “old” Labour. It makes me want to scream.

    It is a very easy and consequently childish and immature way to win every argument. It serves to debilitate the adversary by putting him or her on the defensive and taking the focus off the issue.

    Ever so tiresome and definitely not a suitable debating tool for a PM.

  30. Makjavel says:

    Dr. Joseph Muscat , our knowall PM, has no idea that freeport containerships enter the freeport through Marsaxlokk.

    He must be so confused about Marsamxett, Marsascala, Marsaxlokk, Marsa l-forn that shows how much he cares about the locals and proves that he knows perfectly nothing about Malta’s geography.

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